Sponsor SMS manual says Level 2 users must be upgraded by March 2027
06 Oct 2026
If your employer sponsors your work visa, this change is about how they use the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). It is the online system sponsors use for sponsorship tasks. UKVI updated its SMS user manual on 5 October 2026.
The update note says the manual was "Updated to clarify that Level 2 users will no longer be able to access the SMS after 8 March 2027 and must be upgraded to Level 1 or they will be deactivated." In plain terms, Level 2 users who are not upgraded by then will lose access.
This matters if you are extending or switching your visa and need your sponsor to act for you. If the people at your employer who handle sponsorship lose access, it could cause delays. You can't change this yourself. You could ask your employer or HR team whether their SMS users have been upgraded.
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